Railroad-signal.



PATENTED APR. 80, 1907.

A. W. HARVEY. RAILROAD SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED 1330.17, 1206.

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UNITED STATES PA oririen.

RAILROAD-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

Aaulication filezl December 17,1906. Serial Nn. 348,204.

To aZZ lUl'bOfib it 'nuw concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT VADKINS Hali- VIJY, a citizen. of the UmtedStates of America,

residing at Rockwall, county of Rockwall, and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful .improvements in railway signals and. relates more particularly to that class wherein the signals are operated by a track instrument.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel device of this kind wherein the signal will be caused to perform its function when the train passing over the roadway has reached a predetermined point.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel device of this character wherein a bell is caused to ring, said ringing being performed mechanically.

Furthermore, an object of this invention is to produce a device of the character noted,

which will be simple in construction, efficient in practice and comparatively inexpensive to produce .and maintain.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, in which Figure 1, is a view in top plan of a portion of the railroad track, with the invention applied. Fig. 2, is a view partly in perspective and partly in section of the invention detached. Fig. 3, is a fragmentary sectional view, illustrating a detail of the invention. Fig. 4, is a detail view of the invention. Fig. 5, is a detail of a modification of the invention.

In these drawings 1, denotes the rails of a road-bed and 2, the ties therefor, certain of said ties being cut away intermediate their length to permit the slot-way 3, said slot being formed of any well known or preferred construction. As illustrated in the drawings, it is shown as comprising two strips of iron, cup-shaped, secured or bolted to the tops of the ties and the ends of the cut away ties. This arrangement does not form an essential feature of the invention but has been found to meet all the requirements of pracfrom an economical standpoint.

Approximately centrally of the slot 3, and 5 normally perpemlicular extends a lover or f arm l, having its upper end 5, pointed, said l point being obtained by having the opposite edges of the arm rounded. 'i llOlOWQI end of the arm is secured to a squared porl l E tice, and is believed to be most advantageous l tion 5 of a shaft (3. This shalt (i, is arranged transversely with relation to the roadway but extends beyond one side of the same, and is mounted in bearings 7, of the J shaft in order to prevent any undue longitudinal movement of said shaft, said movemcnt if permitted seriously interfering with 9 the effectiveness of the invention. The arm f f, is provided with the braces, 9, extending in opposite directions, one of said braces being secured to the shaft proper while the remaining brace is secured to the squared por tion thereof, it being well to state that for this purpose the squared portion of the shaft extends beyond the arm when said arm is in its proper position. To further hold the lever to the shaft, or squared portion thereof, a set screw 10, is threaded through the shaft and contacts with the squared portion thereof. In order to protect the shaft and the lever from being clogged by dirt or the like, the same is inclosed in a suitable housing 11. Intermediate the bearings 7, of the shaft is positioned a lever 12, which is suitably supported by the braces 13, secured to the shaft and to the lever. Near the free end of this lever are perforations 14, through which pass ends of springs 15. The opposite ends of these springs are secured to plates 16, said plates 16, being fixed to the bottom of the box or housing 17. This housing, it is to be stated, incloses the mechanism now being described. 'lfhese springs hold the lover normally vertical or perpendicular and thereby the necessity of holding the arm 4, in its ver tical or perpendicuiar position is obviated.

The outer end 18, of the shaft 6, is reduced and squared. On this squared portion 18, is secured a depending lever 19, whichis held to thesquared portion 18, by a set screw 20. Near the lower or free end of the lever is provided a perforation to permit the securing to the lover of the flexible connection 21, formed preferably of line steel plaited wire. It is to be stated that the aforesaid mechanism is positioned a predetermined point from a crossing or a point where the signal is desired to be sounded.

The flexible connection 21, just mentioned extends to the signal and for convenience of operation may pass over suitable pulleys 22, and is secured to the end of an intermediately mounted arm 23, having secured to its lower end a bell 24. This mounting of the bell may be done in any ordinary manner but it is preferred that the same be mounted between two uprights 25, connected at their tops by a shaft or rod 26, to which the arm 23, is secured. As a slightly modified form of structure in lieu of the shaft or rod 26, a heavy flat metal spring may be employed which passes through the arm 23 'ihis spring will allow a ready movement of the arm 23 when acted upon by the signal operating-mechanism and it has the further advantage of causing the bell to ring with greater facility.

'lhe operation of the device is believed to be obvious, although it might be Well to state that the passage of a train will depress the arm 4, and through its intermediate parts as has been described ring the bell 24.

- Having fully described my invention What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In combination, a housing, a shaft rotatably mounted in the housing and projecting to one side thereof, an upright on the exterior portion of the shaft normally eX- tending vertically, a lever mounted on the shaft Within the housing extending upwardly normally vertically, springs secured to the lever and the housing, a depending lever on the shaft Within the housing, a bell and a connection between the depending lever and the bell.

In testimony whereof, I afi iX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT l/VADKINS HARVEY.

Witnesses:

O. E. GIBSON, S. L. BOUNDS. 

